It was a Friday night some 40 years ago. I had been working late and was waiting to be picked up by a friend. I was outside the Prince of Wales Hotel in Christchurch and immediately behind me was the hotelís Bottle Store. I was browsing and sighted the two common Purserís Rum bottles. They must have impressed me because I bought both. That was the start of serious collecting of miniature bottles.
From then on I collected from different places I travelled to both in New Zealand and overseas. In the last 15 years I have increased the collection considerably. My favourite miniatures are whiskeys and Drioli ceramics, but in recent years I have added micros, macros, and miniature beer cans.
The series of earthquakes in Canterbury from 2010 - 2012 has resulted in a loss of bottles and jugs from my collection. The cabinet behind me in the photo above has twice been shaken off the wall. Nothing will stop me collecting!
My wife Cheryl and I have met people of all walks of life when travelling and collecting, and have had some great times. Cheryl has the knack of hunting out different bottles from bottle stores, second-hand shops, and antique shops.
My daughter, Tia, also collects minis and is a club member and as well.